Yesterday was Memorial Day and I just want to take a moment to thank all of those who have served or are currently serving. There are a few people in my family who have served or are currently serving, like my (little) brother, so to all the military families out there, my heart is with you. It was a day to honor those who have lost their lives while serving the United States and I hope you took a few moments from your day to reflect. Yesterday was also my birthday! I cannot believe that I am 22. I am so blessed. I kept my birthday super low-key and just relaxed most of the day. I did upload a NEW video to YouTube, so be sure to check that out. I answered questions that they ask the men on the Bachelorette! For dinner, my family and some friends went out to eat at Taco Mac and the waitress brought me this slice of chocolate cake that literally looked like the slice of cake from Matilda. After that, I just came home and watched some TV before I went to sleep. Super low-key, but it was perfect.

If you keep up with me through this blog, social media, or personally, you probably know that I am a senior in college. I remember the summer before I went to college.. I watched so many YouTube videos and read so many blog posts about college essentials. I wanted to be prepared. Her Campus has a list of what to bring to college that I used. I didn't get everything on the list. I definitely tweaked it to match my needs, but it really helped! I'm sharing eight things that I think are really important to have in college. What would you add?

Who doesn't want to be a girl boss? If you aren't sure what a girl boss is, Sophia Amoruso released a book back in 2014 with that title and defines a girl boss as a woman who is charge of her life. She gets what she wants because she works for it. Sounds great, right? I think so, but to be a girl boss, we have to stay productive, positive, and motivated! I am pretty busy and sometimes, it is hard, but I am sharing my tips for you.

1. Use A Planner

Seriously. My planner contains my ENTIRE life - sorority, personal, radio, blogging, YouTube - seriously my entire life. It keeps me on track and helps me see what I need to get done every single day.

2. Follow People Who Motivate and Inspire You

I follow a lot of bloggers, YouTubers, radio personalities, and journalists on social media and keep up with their stuff because it keeps me motivated. Seeing others do great things keeps me motivated and makes me want to work even harder.

3. Find A Workout Plan You Love

Working out has changed my life. I have worked out on and off for the past 21 years of my life, but I am really learning to love it. My motivation is knowing that in a few months, I will have a body that I love and a body that is strong. Find what motivates you to workout and find a workout that you love. Working out puts you in a better mood!

4. Make a Vision Board

I am actually working on this now! I have four sections - career, love/relationships (not just romantically, but all relationships! What kind of people do you want in your life?), health/wellness, and creativity/fun. Grab a pasteboard or bulletin board and cut out pictures and quotes from magazines or Pinterest that go with what your goals are!

I just want to start this off by saying that I turn 22 in a week. TWENTY-TWO. I cannot believe it, but I will be spending the entire day blasting 22 by Taylor Swift. What other plans do I have for my birthday? Absolutely nothing. If you have any suggestions, help a girl out!

There are many of you that I don't know personally. Many of you only see me through this blog, my social media, and YouTube, so I wanted to share 12 facts about me.

1. I am a sister of Alpha Omicron Pi and being in a sorority has changed my life for the better.

2. I am a first-generation college student. My mom got pregnant with me when she was 17 and did not finish high school. My dad immigrated here from Mexico, but grew up there and was extremely poor and actually had to quit school to work to earn money for his family.
3. Aside from being in a sorority, I serve as the senior editor for the Georgia State chapter of Her Campus and am a member of the following organizations: Order of Omega Honor Society, Society of Professional Journalists, Atlanta Press Club, and National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
4. I interned with The Bert Show last summer and am currently an intern with The Adam Bomb Show. You can hear air checks on Soundcloud!

5. Aside from blogging and YouTube, my dream job is working in radio! I would LOVE to be part of a morning show.
6. I am SUPER picky about ranch dressing. Homemade ranch is my favorite.
7. My celeb crush is Nick Jonas. I have loved him since the very beginning of the Jonas Brothers.
8. My boyfriend, David, and I have been dating for over 5 years. We're high school sweet hearts!

9. I've lived in Georgia all my life, but all of my family is from California (mom's side) or Mexico (dad's side). My parents were the first to move here and the majority of my family has moved to Georgia since!
10. I'm bilingual. I can fluently speak English and Spanish and now that I think of it, I can speak a little Portuguese! I've taken two semester of it in college.
11. I have always struggled with my weight, but 2017 is the year that I get healthy.
12. I love to travel and there are so many places I want to go! Need a travel buddy? I'm your girl!

Share some things about you in a comment below! Also, follow me on social media and talk to me because I want to get to know you. I'll see you in Wednesday's post!

A week ago, I was in the car filled with excitement because I was spending a few days until Tybee Island. Tybee Island is about a 20 minute drive from Savannah, Georgia and holds a special place in my heart. For as long as I can remember, my family has taken a trip down there each summer and it is just a small, friendly island (and also the home to my FAVORITE seafood place, The Crab Shack).

On Monday morning, David and I packed up the car and headed to Tybee! On the way, we stopped at Kroger in Savannah for some groceries (breakfast and lunch food, waters, snacks). We got to Tybee and headed straight to the condo to unpack everything. I was so impressed with the condo, but the one downside was that the air was broken while we were there and unfortunately, the owner couldn't get anyone out to fix it before we left. We got a very small refund, but to be honest... it didn't make up for how hot it got (85 degrees at one point!) I was just glad we checked out before it got too hot. Don't get me wrong though, I would definitely stay at the condo again as long as the air worked!

As soon as we unpacked everything and put the groceries away, we went to the beach! There was a private beach where we stayed which was nice, so we headed there and it was so peaceful. We just grabbed out chairs and put our feet in the water. The part of the beach we were near was very calm. After a while at the beach, we went to the pool and then went back to the condo and took a nap before heading out to dinner at The Crab Shack! We ordered the Captain's Sampler for two! The sampler has steamed shrimp, snow crab, Jonah crab, crawfish, mussels, potatoes, corn, and sausage. After that, we headed to the main part of the island and looked around at the shops and got gelato.

The next day, we got up and went to our private beach for a while and then headed to the main beach for a few hours. On the way back, we stopped for a pizza at Hucapoos (some of the best pizza I've ever had) and brought it back to the condo and ate it while we watched Pretty Little Liars (David wins best bf for watching shows with me).

On Wednesday, we got up early and watched the sunrise, grabbed some breakfast, and then took a nap. We headed out to the beach around 11 and spent the whole day between the beach and pool. After that, we grabbed Crab Shack (we ordered the Captain's Sampler again because it is our fave) and then gelato (it was so good. My mouth is watering thinking about it lol). We sat on the pier and just enjoyed our last night there.

Thursday, we got up and just packed everything up. We spent a few hours in Savannah and grabbed lunch at Fiddler's Crab House. I got a salmon BLT and it was AMAZING. So so so good! David got a low county boil and he said it was fantastic. We stopped and got gelato again (shocker!)

I am so glad that we got to go on this trip. As two college students, having money to do things is tough, but with months of planning and just being frugal, I am really proud of ourselves for doing something selfish and going on a short vacay. It was the perfect start to summer.

Happy Monday! I am spending this week in Tybee Island and I am so excited. I haven't been to the beach in two years.. or is it three? Either way, I haven't been in a while, so I've been saving up to spend a few days at the beach. I am so excited to kick back and relax on the beach for the next few days. I am staying in a condo that I found through Airbnb and I am saving so much money! Sign up using the link and you can save some money on your first booking. I will definitely give you a review of the place I'm staying when I get back!

Tybee Island is just a few hours away from where I live, but it is a mini road trip! I have traveled much longer (like the 17 hour drive to San Antonio...) so I am not new to road trips. There are five things I definitely think are essentials for the perfect road trip and why keep that to myself?

1. A car charger and/or portable charger
Unless you are the one driving, you will probably be on your phone a lot. If you are driving, you might be using your phone as the GPS. Nobody likes a dead phone, so be sure to have a car charger or portable charger or if you really want to be on the safe side...BOTH!

2. Healthy snacks
I like to bring trail mix or fruit on a road trip. I don't like to load up on chips or junk food because it just makes me feel bloated and gross when sitting in the car for so long. Bringing your own snacks keeps you from being tempted to stop at McDonalds for fries or a gas station for chips and a coke.

3. A backpack or tote bag
I love a cute purse, but when I am going to be in a car for a while, I find that having a backpack or tote bag to keep the things I know I will need during the trip is important. Chances are, your luggage will be in the back somewhere and you don't want to have to stop just to get your Cosmopolitan magazine or phone charger. I typically use my AOII letter bag or my North Face backpack for road trips. One day, I'll be using a Louis Vuitton! But not now because I'm in college and unemployed.

4. A water bottle
I bring a water bottle with my everywhere, but water is so important to have on a road trip. It can be easily refilled and saves you time and money because there is no need to make extra stops along the way if you get thirsty and helps to keep you hydrated!

5. A notebook with a pen or pencil
Put the phone away and get creative. Doodle, write, draw, make a lists of things you want to do while you're away.

How pretty is Atlanta? I love my city so much and am so thankful to go to college in the city. I am from a town 45 minutes south of Atlanta and the pace is slower, we have country dirt roads, and it is easy to run into people you know. I love this small town, but Atlanta is so great, too.

I am back home for the summer and it is crazy to think that this is most likely my last summer here. I graduate college in December and am planning on applying to radio stations and television stations in Atlanta (which is the market that my small town is also part of), other cities in Georgia like Savannah, and cities along the East Coast, so I will probably be moving. My plans for this last summer is to make connections, intern, and just have fun.

I will be interning with The Adam Bomb Show, which can be heard on Q100 in Atlanta and it is also syndicated to a few other cities. I fell in love with radio while interning with The Bert Show and working in radio is my dream. I am so excited to be able to spend a summer immersed in radio again!

Other than interning, my sister graduates high school, so of course, I'm excited for that! I'm also traveling a bit... Tybee Island and other beach trip when my brother comes home on leave (aka military vacation). I will also be devoting more time to this blog (it has become my baby lol) and working on my YouTube channel! I REALLY want to vlog more. I think that it is a great way to capture memories. I've also joined Planet Fitness and I've really been enjoying it.

What are your summer plans? Let's be friends. Seriously.. comment, say hey, follow me on social media and let me know you're from the blog!

About The Blogger

Hey! My name is Amanda and welcome to my little corner of the internet where I talk about being a living your best life, beauty, travel, college, and just life in general. I work in broadcast media and love to bake, catch up on entertainment news, and travel.

Happy Monday! Ready to conquer this week? You got it, girl! I spent Friday night in Atlanta and came back home Saturday for my mom's b...

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